Richard Nyankori is the founder and CEO of SPEDx - a startup that explores data to attain the most extraordinary success for students with special needs - and serves on the Board of the National Academy of Advanced Teacher Education.

Prior to founding SPEDx, Richard was the Executive Vice President of the international education consulting firm Insight Education Group and headed its award-winning product development team. He is the former Deputy Chancellor of Special Education for the Washington, DC Public Schools and is credited for vastly improving the provision of services for students with disabilities. Prior to his work with DCPS, Richard served as The New Teacher Project's Director for Training and Certification.

Richard is faculty to some of the sector's top leadership development programs including NAATE, the Pahara-Aspen Fellowship, and the Surge Fellowship. He serves as an advisor to Goalbook, Curriculum Associates, and IO Education. He is a founding board member of Educational Leaders of Color (EdLoC) and NewOrg, an Atlanta-area education impact investor, and the SWIFT Center. Richard began his career in education as a teacher in Baltimore City Public Schools as a Teach For America corps member ('93). He earned his PhD from the University of Maryland, an MS from McDaniel College, and a BA from Emory University.